Amber & Tiny Cakes

Today, Kevin's dreams were realized.  Imagine his joyous surprise when we got a box from Swiss Colony, his boyhood favorite.  "I hope they are petit fours," said he.  And lo!  They were.

"It's my dream come true," said Kevin.  The card said simply, "HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO MY PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES!"

Thank you, Oh Tiny Cake Giver Alison.  And Godspeed, tiny cakes.

Amber & Surprise for Kevin's Cats!

Surprise, kitty boys!

Erl baked you a cake!

But, since you live in New York and your cake is was in San Francisco, and also since you don't eat chocolate cake, she gave it to Alison for her birthday.  (Happy Birthday, Alison!)

But, just pretend, boys, that you got cake when you eat your wet food tonight.  Nom nom nom.

(James photo)

Still: Surprise!

Amber & Portrait of the Ampersand as a Young Man

A friend forwards this found portrait of me.

I love four cats (especially ones wearing birthday hats) and flowers and guitars and boat trips in Alaska and French press coffee and lamps and being at home and yarn and birds (especially owls who say "hi") and cupcakes and ice cream cones and tea pots and boots and rainbows and bees and leaves and other stuff!  The resemblance is uncanny.

Amber & Birthday Treats

Diana made a delicious ice cream terrine with layers of rhubarb frozen yogurt, Italian plum sorbet and peach sorbet. It is frakking delicious!

Holy crap, Diana. You are amazing.

[Update 11:37 pm: I added these photos to show a) that Kevin was not bored by the terrific terrine, but rather with my photojournalistic intrusion...

...b) what a joyous and lovely laugh Diana has...

...c) it was a birthday celebration, and d) I can fill up my cheeks like a squirrel does but with air instead of nuts.]

[P.S. Don't I look oddly like Woody Allen in that shot? Look at the eyebrows.]

Amber & Happy 11th Pussday!

Today is the birthday of the three cats who comprise the Chan Patrol: Ms. Tiggy Winkle, Boy Lucie, and Woodrow Wilson Gutherie Cat.

The kitties are seen here in their Sunday Best Birthday Outfits. I'm going to go make them a tuna cake now. (not really) I cant believe how lucky I am that my mom found them in the rhubarb patch eleven years ago.

Amber & Pa

Happy Birthday, Dad! I am glad you were born, so, so, so long ago.